U.S.|11 of the Most Dramatic Moments in a Day of Confrontation Over Guns

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11 of the Most Dramatic Moments in a Day of Confrontation Over Guns

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Andrew Pollack, whose daughter Meadow was killed at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Fla., addressed President Trump at the White House on Wednesday.CreditCreditTom Brenner/The New York Times

It was a day of tense exchanges, emotion-packed speeches and confrontation as lawmakers, students and parents sparred on Wednesday over what to do about shootings in American schools.

From the nation’s capital to Florida’s State House, people affected by gun violence delivered pain-laced addresses to crowds of passionate supporters, and President Trump listened to a group he had summoned to discuss the problem. There was also some poignant symbolism.

Here are some of the most remarkable moments:

‘What is your definition of a well-regulated militia?’

At an intense town hall-style meeting Wednesday night, Diane Wolk Rogers, a history teacher at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Fla., confronted a spokeswoman for the National Rifle Association over the Second Amendment. How did allowing the 19-year-old shooter in last week’s massacre to own an assault rifle represent “a well-regulated militia” as is written in the amendment, she asked.

“Using supporting detail,” Ms. Wolk Rogers said to thunderous applause at CNN’s “Stand Up” town hall, “explain to me how an 18-year-old with a military rifle is well regulated.”

Dana Loesch, the national spokeswoman for the N.R.A., said the phrase in the Second Amendment was meant to protect the rights of anyone who “could operate and service their firearm.” Her answer was roundly booed.

‘I’m never going to see my kid again’

“I’m never ever going to see my kid again,” Mr. Pollack told the president. “Never ever will I see my kid. I want that to sink in. It’s eternity. My beautiful daughter, I’ll never see again.”

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Andrew Pollack, who lost his daughter in the Florida shooting, was a guest at a listening session at the White House.CreditCreditTom Brenner/The New York Times

‘Never again should I feel guilty to be alive’

Students at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School flooded theFlorida State Capitol in Tallahassee on Wednesday to urge lawmakers to pass legislation addressing gun violence in the two weeks that remain in the legislative session.

One of the students, Sarah Chadwick, a junior at the school, said she had a simple message for legislators: “Never again.”

“Never again should a child be afraid to go to school,” Ms. Chadwick said, speaking in the Capitol’s rotunda. “Never again should students have to protest for their lives. Never again should an innocent life be taken while trying to gain an education.”

‘How is it that easy to buy this type of weapon?’

At the White House gathering on Wednesday, Samuel Zeif, a student at the school in Parkland, fought back tears as he demanded to know why the country tolerated one mass school shooting after another. He said his best friend had been killed.

“I turned 18 the day after, woke up to the news that my best friend was gone,” Mr. Zeif said. “I don’t understand why I could still go into a store and buy a weapon of war.”

He mentioned the massacre at Columbine High School in 1999, and the killing of 20 children at Sandy Hook Elementary School in 2012.

“How is it that easy to buy this type of weapon?” he said. “How did we not stop this after Columbine, after Sandy Hook?”

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Samuel Zeif, a survivor of the Florida shooting, spoke to President Trump about how it felt to lose a friend who was “practically a brother.”CreditCreditJonathan Ernst/Reuters

‘But now, we’re angry, we’re pissed’

Spencer Blum, one of the Stoneman Douglas High students who traveled to Tallahassee for demonstrations, said his friends were still mourning the loss of their classmates. But he said so many of the school’s students had mobilized because they are angry.

“We’re angry, we’re pissed, we’re ready for action,” Mr. Blum said in an interview on CNN. “We are ready to make ourselves be heard.”

“These people are trying to stop us, and they are actually helping us out a lot,” Mr. Hogg said on MSNBC. “For that, I’m honestly kind of thankful.”

He noted that his followers on Twitter had tripled.

Lawmaker says ‘so many’ gunmen turn out to be Democrats

Representative Claudia Tenney, a Republican from Central New York, said in a radio interview on Wednesday that the news media ignores that “the mass murderers end up being Democrats.” Her comments were swiftly condemned by her colleagues in the House.

Also, it does not appear that anyone tracks the political affiliation of mass killers.

“Obviously there’s a lot of politics in it,” Ms. Tenney said. “And it’s interesting that so many of these people that commit the mass murders end up being Democrats. But the media doesn’t talk about that either.”

‘The next person who dies … will be on you’

Outside the Florida State Capitol, Sheryl Acquaroli, another student at Stoneman Douglas High, shouted into a microphone, laying blame squarely at the feet of federal lawmakers.

Using a series of rhetorical questions, she demanded action from congressional leaders, as supporters screamed in response and a drummer beat out a rhythmic reply.

“Dear Congress,” Ms. Acquaroli yelled, “how can you claim to stand for the people but let your kids get slaughtered like animals in their own school? Why is it that every time we make a step forward you force us back?”

“How many of the thoughts and prayers I have received do I have to check in for some damn action?” she continued.

“The next person who dies because of an AR-15,” she said, “will be on you.”

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Sheryl Acquaroli, a survivor of last week’s shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School, called for stricter gun control outside the Florida state capitol, in Tallahassee.

‘This is not the wrong time’

Before a crowd of fellow students in Tallahassee, Florence Yared said it was not too early after the latest mass shooting to discuss changing gun laws. “I’m not trying to take away your Second Amendment rights, nor am I trying to eliminate all guns, but we cannot protect our guns before we protect our children,” Ms. Yared said.

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Florence Yared, a survivor of the shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School, addressed a crowd of protesters outside the Florida State Capitol in Tallahassee.CreditCreditColin Hackley/Reuters

‘I understand what it is like to fear for your life’

Inside the Florida State Capitol, Alfonso Calderon assailed the notion that, as young people, students would be unable to understand the situation well enough to speak out about it.

“Trust me, I understand,” said Mr. Calderon, a Stoneman Douglas High student. “I was in a closet, locked, for four hours with people who I would consider almost family, crying and weeping on me, begging for their lives.

“I understand what it is like to text my parents: ‘Goodbye, I might never ever, ever get to see you again. I love you,’” he added. “I understand what it is like to fear for your life.”

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Alfonso Calderon, a survivor of the shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School speaking at the Florida state Capitol, called for stricter gun control.CreditCreditColin Abbey/European Pressphoto Agency

Students formed a heart on a Florida football field

Students at schools across the United States walked out of class on Wednesday to honor the victims of the Stoneman Douglas High shooting. At Coral Springs High School in Florida, hundreds of students stood on a football field to form the shape of a heart.